In order for cancer cells to multiply and grow into a tumor, they must develop a blood supply to furnish the cells with needed nutrients and oxygen. This process of the development of new blood vessels is termed angiogenesis and/or vasculogenesis, and has been the subject of intense investigation by scientists and drug companies, whose focus has been on understanding the mechanism by which blood vessel formation is initiated, as well as finding drugs which inhibit this process. It is hypothesized that a drug which blocks blood vessel formation will inhibit the growth of tumors, or their metastases, by cutting off the necessary supply lines which feed the tumor.
A limitation of current anti-angiogenic therapy is the necessity for providing continuous levels of a potentially expensive and/or toxic agent on a long-term basis. In contrast, the ability to provide an inexpensive, non-toxic and effective agent in food or in pill form would circumvent this limitation. Thus, there is an ongoing need for identification of new anti-angiogenic agents that can be used for therapeutic and preventive purposes.